7th Grade Mock Trial @ Grace Lutheran School, Sandy Utah. Mock Trial. When my son said he wanted to sign up for Mock Trial I was very excited. I had heard from other parents that the kids really love it and that its a great experience. I grew up in a small town with an even smaller school and I never had an opportunity to participate in Mock Trial. The kids were given their case(s) and the work began. Our kids would go in on Saturdays and practice along with practice time during school hours. They went out and purchased new slacks, shoes, ties, dress shirts and dresses for the girls, so they would look the part for going to court. They looked impressive! They were ready (and nervous)
I'm sure many of you have had your children participate in mock trial. Yesterday was our day in "court." Downtown Salt Lake at the courthouse. Not knowing how "interesting" this was going to be, I brought along a book in-case I needed help getting thru the 3 hour time period. I was pleasantly pleased that the book was never opened. From the opening statement to the closing arguments it was amazing. To watch the kids go thru all the motions, from the bailiff to the attorneys to the witnesses. They all did such an amazing job. It was fascinating to watch the other team interact with our team and how they examined and cross-examined each other.
The three judges/attornies they had (who graciously volunteered their time) were phenominal. I was very grateful and impressed at how well they ran the trial with kids. The majority of the kids had never done anything like this before. Our team was full of newbies. The other team, I'm not sure, they were from a different school. The judges took an additional 30+ minutes to help give each child pointers. They ran thru helpful tips on how to make the trial run smoother, they gave the kids tips on speaking, eye contact, body language and how to jump on the other team when they slip up. What a fantastic experience for everyone. My son is very disappointed the mock trial experience is over for the year.
p.s. The 8th graders at Grace Lutheran are moving on to the semi-finals! Way to go.
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